Whittier man killed Saturday morning in El Monte

EL MONTE >> A gunman fired into a car killing a Whittier man and injuring his female passenger early Saturday morning.

The attack in the 11300 block of Medina Court killed Simon Mendoza, 40, of Whittier, as he sat in the driver’s seat. The unidentified woman in Mendoza’s passenger’s seat received non-life-threatening injuries and was listed in stable condition Saturday, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau.

Mendoza was pronounced dead at the scene by first responders.

Investigators determined an unknown suspect walked up and opened fire at the pair while they sat in the car, hitting Mendoza multiple times in the chest.

The suspect fled in an unknown direction, sheriff’s deputies said. Detectives had made no arrests as of Saturday afternoon.

Mendoza worked at IHOP in Rosemead for the past two years, according to his manager, Mario Solis.

“It’s been hours since this happened, I’m very hurt by it,” Solis said. “He was here yesterday. Before he left — he left shaking hands.”

Solis did not want to talk about the slaying, but said he and other co-workers plan to raise funds for Mendoza’s family.

“We’re still getting ideas. At the moment, we haven’t got together yet to talk about it,” he said. “We’re going to do something about it.”